Gaila the Matchmaker
by Maevelyn
Summary: At the Academy, Gaila plots to set the lonely, adorable Chekov up with a date.
1. Chapter 1

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, twirling the stem of her cocktail glass. He should be here, any moment, she thought.

Adjusting her curly red hair, Gaila kicked her feet forwards, burgundy heels totally out of place against her emerald skin. "Where is he?" she asked, to the world at large. When Gaila had invited Pavel Chekov to her room for a cocktail and studying, she had expected him to show up excited and early. After all, she had this day to find out whether or not he was gay, or who she ought to set him up with. After all, some people were after him. Who wouldn't be at that adorable kid? she wondered as she tapped her feet impatiently and rolled her big eyes.

"Hey Gaila!" he shouted, skidding into her room precisely on time.

Gaila smiled her precise, feline smile and stretched out seductively, trying to see if that would distract him. However, Chekov completely ignored her hint.

"Let us study now?" He asked, "I hawe… Geography of Class M Planets and…" he dug through his duffel bag of books, "Engineering. Vhat vould you like to do first?"

Grimacing, Gaila kicked off her heels, downed her drink, and sat on the floor next to Pavel as he started to explain everything to her for the second time. She actually listened, surprising herself.

It seemed that there was a lot more to Class M planets than she'd thought. She found herself explaining some engineering concepts to him, after all, it was the field she was going into. It was almost dinner when she realized she was almost out of time to execute her plan.

Finally, he stood, smoothed the wrinkles in the knees of his uniform, and she rose to be almost at eye level.

"Anyting else, Gaila?" he asked, smiling, triumphant that he had taught the Academy's biggest Space Case something. At least, that's how Gaila presented herself. Only her roommate, Uhura, and the professors knew she was pretty smart. Still, there were some things she couldn't grasp.

"Yes," she said, almost purring. "Do you have a…love interest?" she asked.

"If this is an attempt for you to ask me to be yours… I must say no." he interrupted quickly.

"No," she said, smirking. "I know somebody who likes you."

"Vho?" he asked, almost dropping his armfuls of books.

"He is somebody in your navigation classes."

"Nawigation? Vait, He?"

"Yes, he, Pavel."

Pavel blushed, lowering his head so that Gaila could only see his curly crown of hair. "Vho is it, Gaila?"

"Hikaru Sulu." She said, dropping her voice to a whisper.

Then he did drop the books. They tumbled forwards with a crash, but Pavel didn't hear it. All he could feel was the pulsing blood rushing from his limbs to his core, up into his head. His heart was racing wildly in his chest, and he was unable to move.

"Sulu?" he said hoarsely, hoping against hope that he had heard right. How could he not love the bubbly, energetic Asian man, with his insights, wry humor, and amazing fencing skills. Even though sometimes he sulked or brooded about things, everybody was entitled to vent their difficulties. Hikaru. Pavel tried to think of why Hikaru would be attracted to him. He was a seventeen year old kid, poor English, did nothing but study…

Gaila nodded. "He loves you, Pavel."

And then Pavel sunk into Gaila's chair. "Vow. Just, vow."

"You mean wow, Pavel, but yeah, I was surprised too, sugar."

"No, I cannot do anyting," he said, shaking his head. "Hikaru needs a better person."

"You're insecure, aren't you, sugar?" she asked.

"No, not." He said, stiffening his back, bringing his neck back and puffing out his chest.

_Good,_ Gaila thought. _His pride is showing. Now, to get them together…_

She shooed Pavel out, so that she could think. Now… she had to talk to Hikaru…


	2. Chapter 2

The answer came to her later that night, as she was grumbling to Uhura about her mid-term exams.

"I have Systems Of Planet Classification, Emergency Engineering Procedures, The Theory of Beaming, Advanced Engineering, and Extraterrestrial Botany..." She started, and Uhura rolled her eyes.

"You think that's bad?" She laughed, shaking her sleek licorice hair out of its ponytail. "I have Exolinguistics, Elementary Klingon, Advanced Romulan, Masters in Vulcan, Extraterrestrial Culture and Customs III, and..."

Gaila wasn't really listening, because she had a sudden idea. She had to talk to Sulu, and she could use some help in Extraterrestrial Botany. Everybody knew that Sulu was a botany fiend. When he wasn't fencing or studying for something else, one could find him in the glass greenhouses on the Academy roofs, watering, weeding, pruning and tending carefully the plants that he loved. The cogs whirled in her mind. She was an Orion with a plan.

"Nyota," she said, cutting her off, "do we have any drills after classes tomorrow?"

"Besides dinner formation? No. . ." Uhura said. "Why?"

"I need to study," she said quickly. Too quickly. "In the greenhouses," she continued, "before they close."

"What in the universe are you up to, Gaila?" Uhura asked, with eyes narrowed. "I know that look."

Gaila feigned surprise, raising her eyebrows and laughing, showing her pretty teeth. "Who says I'm up to anything, Ny?"

"I do," Uhura said, grinning, "and I want to know what's going on. This had better be good."

"Well. . ." Gaila began, drawing a gusty breath and arranging herself comfortably on her bed, "I was talking to Pavel today," she stressed his name and fluttered her eyes. "So, I was talking to Pavel, and I found out something great!"

"Not again," sighed Uhura, ready to listen to all of the gossip Gaila was about to unleash upon her. After all, she wasn't in the communications field for nothing.


End file.
